Life + Faith

Author: Jon

  • King Jesus: The Leper

    King Jesus: The Leper

    I had a skin condition for many years.

    I was told it was leprosy. 

    All over my body, all over my skin, were sores and disease and discolouring. You could see it on my arms, on my face, on my body and my legs. My skin had bumps and big wart-like growths. My fingers were distorted, and some of my toes had disappeared. I had lost feeling in them long before that. 

    In speaking to others, no one remembers a time when I didn’t have this disease. I don’t even remember when I had clean skin. 

    Because of this disease I was an outsider. I’d been outcast from the community a long time ago. I was separated from everyone; my friends, my family, my neighbours. When people saw me they would walk by me. They didn’t deign to look at me, let alone interact. If anything they might insult me as one not worthy of life. All of this would remind me of my position in life. 

    People who knew me and my family would blame me for this condition. It was like I’d done something wrong, or something my parents had done wrong in those early years. 

    And so I would just shuffle from place to place. I would sit alone. I would eat alone. No one would reach out to me, no one would talk to me, no one would come close. 

    There was no cure for this condition. There was no ointment that could help my sores. There was no medicine to help the skin. I didn’t even have a place to go to wash and get clean. 

    When others would go to worship at the synagogue I was unable to go. I wasn’t allowed. I couldn’t worship God like others, and instead sat wondering whether there was a God. 

    I was forever unclean. 

    But then I heard of this man called Jesus. 

    Jesus came to the village. The word on the street was that he was one who could heal. He had healed others before and it made me wonder if this Jesus could heal me too.   

    I took courage. He found out where he was and approached Jesus. I knelt before him and asked, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” I said this with real belief, real openness, and honesty.

    Jesus looked down upon me and had compassion for me. Everyone could tell, you saw it in his eyes. Others around thought Jesus was indignant and annoyed for being interrupted, but that wasn’t the case. Jesus had real pity on me. 

    And suddenly, for the first time in who knows how long, I felt the touch of another human being. Jesus reached out, not concerned about his own uncleanliness, and took a risk and said he was willing to make me clean. 

    You wouldn’t believe it, but this is what happened. Right away I was clean and healed and the disease was gone. I couldn’t believe it. No one could believe it. My skin changed, the growths were gone, I didn’t scratch or itch. Even my fingers and toes were all back and in working order. 

    I was so happy. I was smiling and laughing and full of joy. 

    Jesus not only cleaned me on the outside, radically changing my life, but he also made me clean with God. 

    This Jesus made me clean and whole. 

    I thought my greatest problem was my skin. I thought that if the sores disappeared, the isolation ended, that I could just walk back into town then everything would be right again. This is what happened but it’s only part of the story. What I came to realise was that my greatest problem wasn’t my skin, it was my separation. Not just from people but from God. 

    When Jesus reached out and made me clean he did more than restore my body. He restored me to worship. He restored me to a relationship. He restored me to God.

    King Jesus: A Series in Mark’s Gospel
    Part 1: King Jesus: The Beginning of The Good News
    Part 2: King Jesus: The Messenger
    Part 3: King Jesus: The Love of God the Father
    Part 4: King Jesus: The Kingdom of God
    Part 5: King Jesus: The Calling of The Ordinary
    Part 6: King Jesus: Place and Purpose
    Part 7: King Jesus: The Authority Behind The Words
    Part 8: King Jesus: The Power of Jesus
    Part 9: King Jesus: The Leper
    Part 10: King Jesus: The Paralytic
    Part 11: King Jesus: Restoration From Chaos

  • King Jesus: The Power of Jesus

    King Jesus: The Power of Jesus

    I am yet to have been interrupted so abruptly like Jesus was when teaching here in Mark 1:21-29, and I hope I never will be! But in this passage a man with an unclean spirit disrupts the service in the synagogue with a loud cry and shouts,

    “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:24)

    The Confession

    Aside from what might have been a rude and surprising interruption, as it would be in any setting such as this, this was a particularly telling event in the early ministry of Jesus. The religious leaders and the crowds are amazed by Jesus but haven’t quite worked out who he is. This unclean spirit, however, knows exactly who he is dealing with. It names Jesus’ hometown. It names Jesus’ identity. There is no confusion in the spiritual realm about who Jesus is or the extent of his authority. 

    Immediately Jesus shuts this down. He says, “Be quiet! Come out of him.” And it does. This is not because of embarrassment but more for the sake of keeping things quiet until his time to announce his full self reaches its proper time. 

    This isn’t the last time in Mark’s gospel that Jesus encounters and casts out an impure or demonic spirit; there are five instances in Mark alone. What it tells us is that King Jesus rules and reigns over all that is spiritual. There is no power in the heavenly or earthly realms that is outside his authority.

    The Reality of Spiritual Warfare

    I don’t take the view that behind every illness or every struggle with sin there’s a demon lurking. You might know people who see evil under every rock, or every challenging circumstance needs to be exorcised. That’s not the picture Mark is painting. But Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians recognises the reality of the spiritual realm when he says, “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world.” (Ephesians 6:12)

    Satan is real. The evil one’s fingerprints are visible in the brokenness of our world, in the pull of temptation, and in the pattern of suffering and deception that run through our human experience. The New Testament is honest about the measure of power he holds and it is the reality of our earthly existence.

    However, as we read in the first chapter of Ephesians, the battle has been won!

    “God exerted his power when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked.” (Ephesians 1:20-21)

    This battle is not won because evil doesn’t still push and prod, but because through the death and resurrection of Jesus, the enemy has been decisively defeated. The prince of this world will be driven out (John 12:31). The cross is God’s power on full display.

    As 1 Corinthians 1:18 puts it: “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

    Authority You Can Trust

    The power of God is clearly here at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. It’s on display in our world, as the Lord calls people to himself, and those whose hearts are drawn to the light. And, it is on display through the cross on which he died. 

    Be assured of the authority of Jesus in your life and in our world, no matter the chaos. 

    King Jesus: A Series in Mark’s Gospel
    Part 1: King Jesus: The Beginning of The Good News
    Part 2: King Jesus: The Messenger
    Part 3: King Jesus: The Love of God the Father
    Part 4: King Jesus: The Kingdom of God
    Part 5: King Jesus: The Calling of The Ordinary
    Part 6: King Jesus: Place and Purpose
    Part 7: King Jesus: The Authority Behind The Words
    Part 8: King Jesus: The Power of Jesus
    Part 9: King Jesus: The Leper
    Part 10: King Jesus: The Paralytic
    Part 11: King Jesus: Restoration From Chaos

  • King Jesus: The Authority Behind The Words

    King Jesus: The Authority Behind The Words

    Have you ever been in a room when someone speaks and the atmosphere simply changes?

    Not because they were loud or theatrical, but because there was something behind the words. Weight. Clarity. An authority you couldn’t quite put your finger on but couldn’t ignore either.

    Jesus the Teacher

    In one of his early ministry moments Jesus is given the opportunity to teach in the local synagogue (Mark 1:21-39). And while we’re not told what he taught, we’re told how it landed on his audience.

    “The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.” (Mark 1:22)

    Now these teachers of the law were learned men. They had spent their lives studying the scriptures and traditions of Israel. Their teaching method, however, was to essentially quote authorities, past rabbis and respected interpretations. They may have dealt with the text of scripture a little, but they grounded their own authority on the teaching of others. It’s built on the stilts of others.

    Jesus doesn’t do this when he teaches. He doesn’t borrow authority from others. Instead, he teaches as someone who had firsthand experience, he teaches as someone who knew what he was teaching.

    Preaching with Power

    There is something recognisable for those of us who have sat under preaching that carries a particular anointing of the Spirit. The message lands right where you are. It speaks exactly to what you need this week. It reveals more of the scriptures to you in a compelling way. It is a sermon that grabs your attention more than usual. This is the Word of God speaking through a person as they preach. This is the Holy Spirit working through the Word of God.

    Like an archer with an arrow, the Word of God pierces the heart and soul. And it is Jesus who teaches with this kind of presence and authority.

    King Jesus: A Series in Mark’s Gospel
    Part 1: King Jesus: The Beginning of The Good News
    Part 2: King Jesus: The Messenger
    Part 3: King Jesus: The Love of God the Father
    Part 4: King Jesus: The Kingdom of God
    Part 5: King Jesus: The Calling of The Ordinary
    Part 6: King Jesus: Place and Purpose
    Part 7: King Jesus: The Authority Behind The Words

  • The Joys and Challenges of Sending

    The Joys and Challenges of Sending

    When I think of partnership, my mind always drifts towards Paul’s words in Philippians 1:3-5, 

    “I thank my God every time I remember you… because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”

    It’s a great line, isn’t it? It’s more than a thank you, it’s a picture of what it looks like when a local church embraces its role in God’s mission. It’s not just cheering others on from the sidelines, but it’s partnering meaningfully with those called to take the good news of Jesus across cultures and borders. 

    At our church here in Mooroolbark, we’ve had the privilege of sending people we know and love to serve cross-culturally. It’s not a long list, and we’re not a big church. Not that size is the measure anyway. But what’s mattered most is the posture we’ve taken. A posture of sending, of being open to God’s leading and being partners in the gospel together. 

    The Joys

    Watching someone within the life of the church respond to God’s call into mission is a beautiful thing. To see them grow in faith, serve in ministry, walk with others, and begin to sense God’s leading somewhere new is exciting. It’s exciting for them, and it’s exciting for the church. It doesn’t happen quickly–in fact, it can be awfully slow. But when that conviction settles and through discernment it is affirmed there is a great sense of God at work. You end up realising that this is why the Church exists.  

    We’ve had the joy of commissioning services, which are rich in meaning and prayer. The laying on of hands, the setting apart, and the committing those called to the Lord. These are services that energise the church as people rally around them, offering financial support, practical help, consistent prayer, and just good encouragement. 

    It’s also encouraging to see the impact that mission updates have on others. Whether it’s stories of discipleship, translation, medical work, or leadership development, it all reminds us that we’re part of something bigger. It lifts our eyes beyond the immediate and makes our hearts swell. 

    Then, perhaps not thought of as often as we should, is the encouragement of seeing the growth in those we send. There’s a deepening of faith, a maturing of character, and a greater sense of hope in God. The way God shapes those on the field is a sight to see. They don’t just go to give and serve, but they go and are formed, too. And this is a blessing for all involved. 

    The Challenges

    Of course, sending is not without its challenges. The hardest part is often saying goodbye. Those sent are usually not just any member of the church, they’re often those who are deeply involved in the life of the community. This is certainly true in my experience. They lead small groups, mentor others, serve in different capacities, and then suddenly there’s a gap. The church can’t help but feel it. 

    There is the challenge of distance too. Supporting people well from the other side of the world isn’t exactly a straightforward task. There’s the practical reality that we can’t always help in hands-on ways. We must be intentional to keep connection, to communicate regularly, and stay informed and prayerful as the needs arise. As the saying goes, “out of sight, out of mind”, can be true in our churches as well as our personal lives. Wrestling with those questions of how partnership works, between the church, the missionaries, and the mission agencies, is key. How do we stay involved without overstepping? Who takes the lead in care, and in what ways? All these tensions are good and right, but tensions all the same. 

    And like many churches, we rely on a volunteer team to keep our missionary support active and present. They pray faithfully, with love and care, but as the needs of missionaries become more complex (especially around member care and logistics), there can be a stretch. There’s more to support than a few emails, an occasional gift, and financial contributions, but how do we do it well? It isn’t always obvious. 

    The Posture of Sending

    Through these things, the practicalities and the questions, we’re learning what it means to have a sending posture. This isn’t about an occasional project, it’s a long-term commitment that is shaped by the Great Commission, those words of Jesus himself in Matthew 28:19-20:

    “Go and make disciples of all nations… and surely I am with you always.”

    We want to respond to this call as a church, not only by going but by sending. We go into our neighbourhoods, schools, workplaces, sporting clubs, and families but we also go into the wider world. And we do so trusting that the Lord of the harvest is still calling, still sending, and still doing more than we could ask or imagine. 

    Sending missionaries isn’t easy. But it’s worth it. It reminds us that the gospel is good news for all people, everywhere. 

    And we get to be part of it.

  • Do You Do A Mid-Year Reflection? 

    Do You Do A Mid-Year Reflection? 

    It’s that time here in Melbourne where the days are cold and fresh and we come to the halfway mark of the year. 

    I’m not sure about you but I long to be somewhere warm about now. The kids have just gone on school holidays, there will be more family time and unstructured time in the home. Friends have disappeared up north to get a dose of sun for the week, and most of the regular life programming has taken a pause. It is usually the case that after our summer break we walk back into life with a pep in our step but we are far removed from January energy. As we mark the midpoint of the year that pep might have gone by the wayside and we are simply trying to put one foot in front of the other. 

    In recent years, with all this in mind, I’ve taken time to intentionally reflect on the first half of the year. I love the book of Proverbs, and don’t dip into it nearly enough, but it has a couple of gems for us in terms of being reflective people. In Proverbs 4:26 we read, 

    “Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established.” 

    And then in Proverbs 14:8 is says, 

    “The sensible person’s wisdom is to consider his way, but the stupidity of fools deceives them.”

    Both these proverbs encourage us to be self-aware and reflective people, teaching us that it is discerning and wise to do so. 

    Becoming this kind of person doesn’t happen naturally either. It is not really in our nature to stop, think, be intentional, and reflective of our lives. More often than not we bumble along trying to keep up with whatever responsibilities we have before us, some simply day by day. And so being intentional in this way is a form of discipline. We discipline ourselves to stop, to think, to be reflective as to what is going on inside and around us. We do so in order to observe what God has been doing in our lives and where he might be leading us. 

    In seeking to do this in my life I work through 10 short questions, giving dot point answers to each of them, as an exercise in reflection. I’ve only just done it again for this year, and have found it really helpful. I share the questions below and pray they will be useful to you as well. 

    All the best, and my prayers are with you, as you consider the path of your feet and the way you have walked this year. May it be an encouragement to you. 

    Mid-Year Reflection Questions:

    1. What are the most important events that have happened to me, or in me, this past 6 months?
    2. What are the greatest breakthroughs in any category of my life this past 6 months (physically, emotionally, relationally, vocationally, spiritually, with other people, etc.)?
    3. What has been the greatest struggle in my life this past 6 months?
    4. What has been the greatest, and deepest, loss this past 6 months?
    5. What was the area that has consumed my thinking, attention, and focus this past 6 months (health, relationship, future, etc.)? 
    6. Where have I felt most vulnerable in my life?
    7. Where have I most experienced the presence of God this past 6 months and why?
    8. In the past six months, where have I experienced the greatest sense of consolation (peace, contentment, shalom, beauty, etc.)?
    9. In the past six months, what area of my life has given me the most desolation (pre-occupation, depression, anxiety, etc.)?             
    10. What is ONE word that would begin to sum up this past 6 months?